Page "Kingdom of Hungary (1538–1867)" Paragraph 23

Joseph II ( 1780 – 90 ), a dynamic leader strongly influenced by the Enlightenment, shook Hungary from its malaise when he inherited the throne from his mother, Maria Theresa.

In the framework of Josephinism, Joseph sought to centralize control of the empire and to rule it by decree as an enlightened despot.

He refused to take the Hungarian coronation oath to avoid being constrained by Hungary's constitution.

In 1781-82 Joseph issued a Patent of Toleration, followed by an Edict of Tolerance which granted Protestants and Orthodox Christians full civil rights and Jews freedom of worship.

He decreed that German replace Latin as the empire's official language and granted the peasants the freedom to leave their holdings, to marry, and to place their children in trades.

Hungary, Slavonia, Croatia, the Military Frontier and Transylvania became a single imperial territory under one administration, called the Kingdom of Hungary or " Lands of the Crown of St. Stephen ".

When the Hungarian nobles again refused to waive their exemption from taxation, Joseph banned imports of Hungarian manufactured goods into Austria and began a survey to prepare for imposition of a general land tax.